Inugami
by Shiro Long Tails
Summary: Japan. The 1920s. Murders occur mysteriously and out of the blue, and the victims have the same surname. Police have yet to find the criminal, and the only clue they have is how the murderer kills: by beheading. The work of a madman? Or something else?
1. Prologue

**--  
**

"No!" The man said, throwing the chair in a random direction. "Leave me alone!" He ran to the corner of the room. Nothing was happening. And there was nothing there. Nothing.

The thing had gone.

No, no. He spoke too soon. It was still there. He could hear it. Its slow, rasping breathing; getting louder, and louder. Closer and closer. The man's palms began to sweat. He began to shake, began to fear for his life.

"G-get away!" he screamed desperately. His great-grandmother's curse is not his fault to begin with. Why must it chase after people other than her? It was there. In front of him. He couldn't see it, but he could feel it. He could feel its hot breath, its cold nose brushing against his forehead. His eyes widened. He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out.

And the last thing he saw

Was the beast's sharp, white teeth.

* * *

**Disclaimer**: 'Mononoke' (c) Toei Animation

I do not, I repeat, DO NOT own this anime or the character 'Kusuriuri'.

A/N: Ok, this is basically it for this chapter. Next chapter, it starts to flow a little more (I think.)


	2. Train Ride

--

"Onii-san! Onii-san!"

Kenta looked down at his younger sister, who was dancing around him. He sighed impatiently as he held on to the pole in the train. "What do you want now…"

"Did… Didja hear about the man who was found with his head torn off? Huh? Huh?" Aiko skipped around her older brother, a big grin on her face. Her eyes seemed to twinkle as well.

Kenta didn't answer. Aiko pouted and stopped. She stood at his side.

"... Hey, answer me!"

"Of course I did. It's all over the news. Idiot."

His sister pouted. "I'm not Idiot. I'm Aiko."

…

"Right. Whatever."

"… Onii-san Onii-san!"

"WHAT."

"The man whose head was torn off has the same surname as us!"

"…So did all the previous people."

Aiko clutched to her brother's arm. "What if our heads get ripped off next, Onii-chan?" Kenta scoffed. "That'll never happen. I'll rip the guy's head off before he can get mine." Aiko grinned and punched the air. "Yeah Onii-chan!"

The train stopped, and the doors opened. The muffled speaker came on and gibberish seemed to come out of it. Kenta felt Aiko tug at his hand. He turned his head sharply. "WHAT."

"Look at _him_, Onii-chan." Aiko whispered, and she turned to face a man who had just entered the train car. Brother and sister stared.

Such a strange man! He was so out of place in the train. He was wearing brightly coloured clothes, which, in Kenta's opinion, was outdated. It was a kimono-type-thing, in Kenta thought. Some of his hair fell around his face, and a lock was tied up with… blue string? A purple bandana adorned his head, keeping the rest of his pale hair from hanging down.

He had even paler skin. And his face, although handsome, had strange markings. His long fingernails were painted bright purple, and they looked like claws from far away.

He was carrying a rectangular pack on his back, and he walked towards Kenta and his sister. Aiko leaned closer against Kenta, and she stared at the man, who stood beside Kenta. Kenta, in return, edged a few steps away from the weirdo.

"Don't stare, Aiko. It's rude." Kenta whispered through his teeth. From the corner of his eye, he saw the man look at him. Kenta immediately looked away. Aiko continued to stare. Kenta silently wished that his sister would keep her mouth shut. He glanced at her.

Aiko pouted. Kenta clenched his fists. A pout. Not a good sign.

"… I don't like you."

Kenta slapped his own forehead. Then, out of curiosity, he stole a glance at the man. He wanted to see his reaction to the remark.

The man turned his head and looked at the short girl. His painted lips twitched, then formed a smile. A very small smile. "Oh?"

"Yeah." Aiko replied. "I don't like you one bit."

"…And why not?" He was still smiling.

"…Uhm… Because you're _creepy_."

At that, the man seemed to chuckle, then he turned away.

The train stopped, and the gibberish-speaking speaker came on again. Kenta grabbed his sister's shoulders. _Quickly, before she opens her mouth again._ "It's this stop. Let's go." He pushed her sister out the door and onto the platform. Kenta looked back at the man, and was slightly disturbed. He was… talking to himself? The man's mouth was moving, and the smile had disappeared. Kenta couldn't make out any words by reading the man's lips though.

He then felt Aiko tug his sleeve. "Let's go, let's go!"

The train door closed, and it sped off.

* * *

**Disclaimer**: 'Mononoke' (c) Toei Animation

I do not, I repeat, DO NOT own this anime or the character 'Kusuriuri'.

A/N: This is it, for this chapter. Yeah. Kusuriuri-san appears here.("Finally." some of you say) Mh... nothing much is revealed here, so be patient and wait for chapter three.


	3. Suspicion

Kenta sighed and put his books in his bag.

"You'd better not be late next week, Inugami." His teacher reminded him. Kenta looked up, and sighed again. "Yes, sensei." The teacher smiled at him, and walked out of the classroom. Kenta stood up and kicked his chair, making it shift against his desk. He _hated_ this school. To make it worse, the walls and ceiling were painted white and the cement floor was left grey. The windows had horizontal bars, obscuring the view of the outside world. It felt like a prison. And the teacher always picked on him.

_Inugami! Read the passage please._

_Inugami! Answer the question for all of us._

_Inugami! Would you mind working out the sum on the blackboard?_

Kenta made a face, and he slung his bag over his shoulder. Stupid teacher. Why can't she leave him alone? He wasn't the only one in the class. At least he had friends. He scratched his head. _Two, actually._

"Eh! Don't say such things! What if it really happens, huh, Hasegawa?"

Kenta turned, surprised by his friend's sudden outburst. "What will really happen?" he asked, and Hasegawa and Fujimoto turned to face him. Fujimoto smiled and chuckled nervously. "N-nothing, Inugami-kun." Kenta raised an eyebrow. "You can tell me, I won't kill you or anything." Hasegawa sighed. "You know those headless murders?" Kenta narrowed his eyes. "What about them?"

"They all had 'Inugami' for their surname…"

"Yeah? So what? Are you saying _I'm_ the one killing them?"

"N-no! Of course not!"

"Then?"

…

"Say something!"

"… Something?"

"… Not funny, Fujimoto-kun."

"Sorry."

Fujimoto gulped, then blurted, "We think that maybe _you_ will be next, Inugami-kun." Hasegawa blinked. "If not next, then maybe _soon.._. you'll be-" "Stop talking." Kenta snapped. He glared at both of them, and then sighed. "Look, I know you all are worried and all; but I just want to make _one_ thing clear." He sucked in a deep breath. "I'm _not_ going to get my head chopped off. Alright?"

Fujimoto shuffled uneasily. He mumbled something under his breath, and Hasegawa patted Kenta on the back. "Alright. We'll trust you." Kenta smiled, and started to walk out the door. "See you on Monday!" Kenta called. "See you!" Hasegawa called back, and Fujimoto echoed."See you! If you're not here on Monday that means your head's gone!"

"That's just lame."

"Sorry."

--

"Onii-san! Onii-san!"

"WHAT."

"Can we go to the shop?"

"No. It's late. We'd better get home fast."

"If you don't bring me, I'll tell mom!"

"Mom's still at work, ok?"

"Then I'll tell… um..."

Aiko pouted. "Meanie…" Kenta sighed; his sister can be such a spoilt brat sometimes. He wanted to cut off her tongue sometimes. He looked up, and sighed.

"What's wrong, Onii-san?" Aiko mumbled, tugging at his arm. "Mm… Nothing." Kenta whispered, not as annoyed as before. He had been really snappy towards her the past few days. Maybe he really had to make it up to her. He looked at his sister, he sighed. "Ok, let's go to the shop." Aiko's face immediately brightened. "Yeah! Let's go!" Kenta felt her grip on his hand loosen, and the next thing he saw was his little sister running off ahead. He blinked, and then couldn't help but smile. "H-hey! Wait for me!" he shouted running after her. She soon disappeared around a corner. "If you get lost, it won't be my fault, Aiko!" Kenta yelled, running faster.

Aiko stopped running and tried to catch her breath. She put her hands on the wall and peered around it. "Onii-san isn't here yet…" she then scoffed. "Onii-san runs so slow." She turned. She grabbed hold on a lamp post and started to twirl around it. "Round and round. Round and round. Round and round." She sang, and then she stopped as she was getting dizzy. "Ow…" she mumbled, rubbing her forehead. "No wonder Mom won't let me spin around in the house_…"_ she mumbled to herself. "And Onii-chan still hasn't arrived yet… He's so slow…" She then grinned. "Onii-chan is a turtle! A big, slow tur-"

A bark.

"Huh?" Aiko turned. "A dog?"

And yes, there was a dog. It was sitting down, staring at her with inquisitive, dark violet eyes. _Purple eyes? _Aiko narrowed her eyes. Its eyes were purple, very dark purple. Like dried plums. _A dog can't have purple eyes. This dog isn't real._ She blinked. The dog is still there.

"You seem real enough to me." Aiko said.

The dog blinked in reply.

"You didn't disappear."

The dog blinked again.

To Aiko, it was a very colourful dog. It was grey and white, as if someone painted the belly white, and the upper half grey. There were speckles of brown on its snout, where the grey and white met, as well as around its eyes. On it's legs as well, in a similar fashion. Its pointed ears were brown as well. She had always loved dogs, and every time she saw one, she would always try and make friends with them. Onii-san, however, will never let her go near a dog. _"It will bite you._" He always said. Aiko pouted, then she caught sight of the brown collar around the dog's neck. She grinned. This dog has an owner. She looked around the wall again. Onii-chan was there, but still very far away. "Now Onii-san's an ant." Aiko giggled. She turned towards the dog again. It was still there, sitting down, still staring at her.

--

"Oi! You!" the shopkeeper said, removing his hat. "Why're you standing there, huh? You'll scare customers away if you keep standing there." He stared at the brightly-dressed young man standing outside his shop. He seemed to be talking to himself. "Oi!" the shopkeeper said again, louder this time. "What're you doing there?" The young man continued to talk to himself, continued to ignore him. He smiled, and started to walk towards the other street. The shopkeeper frowned and shook his head. He mumbled. "Freak."

* * *

**Disclaimer**: 'Mononoke' (c) Toei Animation

I do not, I repeat, DO NOT own this anime or the character 'Kusuriuri'.

A/N: Yup. Nothing much revealed int is chapter. Off we go~


	4. Dog

Aiko looked around. _Nobody will tell Onii-san anyway. _She walked towards the dog, and her gaze fell on its eyes again. She recoiled slightly. It didn't give a friendly look anymore, the blacks of its eyes only just very thin lines and it gave her an uneasy feeling. She looked around, then she squatted in front of it. Nervously, she stretched her hand out. The dog sniffed her hand. She caught her breath. The dog just froze, it didn't move. It opened its mouth ever so slightly, and Aiko withdrew her hand.

"Don't you dare bite me, alright?" Aiko scolded the dog, and it stared up at her. Its eyes were the same, like glass; shining, and cat-like. She put her hand over the dog's head, her gaze still on its eyes; its ears twitched. Her hand landed on its head, and she began to stroke its furry head. Aiko noticed that its eyes seemed to soften, and it had that friendly look again. Its tail began to wag. Aiko smiled. The dog barked.

"Aiko!" She heard the familiar voice of her brother. "Onii-san?" He snatched her hand away from the dog. "I thought I told you… not to… go near strange dogs?" he shouted, panting; he shook her arm. Aiko sniffed, and tears welled up in her eyes. "B-but… the dog's friendly… it-it has an owner…"

"I don't care! Who knows what'll happen if it bit you!"

"…I'm sorry…"

"You'd better not do that again!"

Aiko nodded, and Kenta sighed. Sighing was becoming a habit of his. He turned to face the dog. He gulped. It had a strange look in its eyes. The irises were thin; narrow slits. It wasn't the eyes of a dog, more like the eyes of a cat. It bared its teeth at him, and snarled. It took a few seconds for Kenta to recover. "G-get away!" Kenta hissed, and he kicked it. The dog yelped and it sprinted into the alley. "Good riddance," Kenta mumbled and Aiko shook his arm. "You didn't have to kick it!" she half-sobbed. Kenta stared at her sister. "You heard it! It snarled at me!"

_Klok klok klok_

"It's scared of you! That's why it snarled!"

_Klok klok klok_

"Stop trying to be smart!"

_Klok klok klok_

"I'm not!"

_Klok_

"You are! We would both get a scolding if the dog bit you!"

"Now, now. There's no need to fight, is there?"

Both brother and sister turned to face the supposed owner of the third voice. Aiko made a face and she hid behind her brother. "Ew! It's the creepy man!" Kenta blinked, and froze. Yes. It was the same, strange, brightly coloured man whom he and Aiko saw in the train. His blue eyes seemed to burn into Kenta's own eyes.

"What're you doing here? Th-this is none of your business!" Kenta said, slightly taken aback. The man didn't say anything, he bent over and he put the same, large rectangular pack onto the ground. "What're you doing?" Kenta shouted again. The man stayed silent. Aiko peered from behind Kenta and shouted. "W-we'll call the police!" The man didn't say anything. "There is…" he turned to face them once more. "No need to," the man finally spoke, standing up straight.

"J-just who are you?"

The man looked at Kenta, his face as stoic as ever. "I'm just… a medicine seller… you see…"

Aiko stepped out. "A medicine seller? Like a doctor?"

Despite the situation, Kenta wanted Aiko to shut her mouth and stop asking stupid questions.

"Something like that… but not really…"

"Then… why are you dressed like that?"

"I have to dress like this for my wares to sell."

"Wares? What does that mean?"

Kenta shook his head. "You didn't answer why question! Wh-"

The medicine seller turned and faced the young boy. "Didn't I already? I'm a medicine seller." Kenta shook his head again. "What are you doing here, then, Kusuriuri-san?" "Oh?" The medicine seller paused, and then his eyes narrowed. "I came… to kill."

"K-kill?" Kenta shouted, and Aiko's eyes widened. "Kill what?"

The medicine seller smiled.

--

"Mononoke don't exist!"

"That's what you think."

"Stop smiling like that, Kusuriuri-san!" Aiko grumbled. "It's creepy!" Kenta gritted his teeth. "Mononoke are spirits, right? Then," he raised his index finger and pointed at the medicine seller. "How do you kill them?" The medicine seller's gaze wandered from Kenta to Aiko, and from Aiko, to Kenta again.

Hearing an odd, metallic noise, Kenta's arm dropped to his side and he looked at the rectangular box that the medicine seller was carrying with him earlier. The noise was coming from there. His gaze went back to the medicine seller, whose stoic facial expression became a critical, strict one, like his teacher when he pronounced a word wrongly. Then his smile faded. Kenta whispered, "K-kusuriuri-san?" At that moment, was a loud creaking noise. The silence that followed was interrupted by Aiko's shriek. "It opened by itself!" Hearing his sister scream, he turned to face whatever she was pointing at. Indeed, there was an open red case on top of the rectangular medicine box.

And then

.

.

.

A bark.

The boy and the young girl turned. "A dog?" Aiko said. "The dog from just now?" There was another bark, but there was no dog; then they could hear what could be the jingling of bells. There was a low, clicking sound, and small objects that seemed to be child's toys practically flew out from the medicine seller's box; they set themselves in a line on the floor. Their line stretched all the way until the end of the street, it seemed. Aiko opened her mouth; whether to say something, or just in amazement, Kenta wasn't sure. Identical bells dropped from each of the 'wings' of the objects. He turned and looked at the medicine seller, who was holding a long, rectangular object embedded with what seemed to be gems. At the end of it, was the face of an ogre, long grey hair streaming down, teeth bared.

Kenta blinked several times, and then he focused his attention to the shiny, brightly coloured objects. "Wh-what are those?" Kenta asked, pointing to the objects with bells hanging from them. The medicine seller looked at him, and then answered, "Scales."

"To measure what? Weight?"

"These scales don't measure weight…"

"Then?"

"They measure… distance."

"Distance?"

Aiko tilted her head to the side. "Distance to what?"

The medicine seller looked up from the floor. "The Mononoke, of course."

Kenta then tried to match the medicine seller's serious expression. "And what about that?" He pointed to the item in the medicine seller's hand.

"Ah, how many questions do children have for me…?"

"Answer!" Kenta shouted. Then he quickly added, "Kusuriuri-san."

"This is… a sword."

"For?"

"Killing Mononoke."

Kenta frowned. _How could such a fancy, ridiculous-looking sword possibly kill something like a Mononoke? _

"You've got all the things you need to kill the Mononoke, Kusuriuri-san!" Aiko said rather happily. "So, where is it?"

"No."

"Huh?"

"I…do not have all the things I require to kill the Mononoke."

* * *

**Disclaimer**: 'Mononoke' (c) Toei Animation

I do not, I repeat, DO NOT own this anime or the character 'Kusuriuri'.

A/N: That is all. Chapter five is still in progress. When it is done, it will be posted here.


	5. Flames

.

.

.

"The Form, the Truth, and the Regret of the Mononoke must be known," The medicine seller looked at his sword. "Before I can unsheathe the Sword of Exorcism."

"… Can you explain, Kusuriuri-san?" Kenta requested. And Aiko just simply said, "Huh?"

"The Form, the physical shape of the Mononoke. The Truth, the reason why it became as it is." The medicine seller looked up. "And the Regret, the state of its being."

The tinkling of bells diverted their attention. "Wh-what…" Kenta began. The scales all began to tilt, one by one; starting from the one furthest away. The slanting of the scales began to increase in speed, the bells on them ringing in their motion.

The medicine seller's speech became more sudden, and slightly daunting. "What happened? Why did it happen? What started this hatred?" The ringing and the tilting became quicker. "Until the answers for those questions are known…" the medicine seller stopped, and the scales and the ringing stopped as well. "This sword is powerless, and I cannot kill the Mononoke."

A bark.

Aiko turned.

"Oh! It's that dog again!" Kenta and the medicine seller turned, and they saw the dog. It was just standing there, as still as a statue. It wasn't panting, it wasn't blinking, and its tail wasn't wagging. Its eyes were soft, however. It wasn't what Kenta had remembered. The medicine seller raised his sword. Kenta glanced at him. "Kusuriuri…san?"

The ogre face on his sword stirred. Its mouth was open, and the bottom jaw was wobbling, as if it wanted to close its mouth shut, but couldn't; as if there was something preventing it from doing so. It made a clacking sound in the process. "The dog." The medicine seller said abruptly. Aiko turned to face him. "What about it, Kusuriuri-san?"

The dog's eyes gradually changed. The irises shrank and narrowed to become slits again. The cornea grew bright. Its lips quivered, and it bared its teeth. It grew large, its fur darkened and turned black. Its collar turned icy blue; its eyes turned bright teal, its pupil shining white. It seemed to glow, a bright blue aura. It howled, a long, sliver of a tongue sliding out of its mouth.

Aiko screamed, Kenta grabbed her by the shoulder and pushed her behind him. "Stay back!" Kenta shouted, and the medicine seller stepped in front of him. "So, this is… your Form."

The ogre's mouth snapped shut with a 'clack'.

--

The dog, or the thing that used to be the dog, howled, and ran towards them. Aiko began screaming, and Kenta used his own body to shield her. He heard a crashing sound, like the sound of glass shattering into a million pieces. He opened his eyes. They were surrounded. By… spell papers? Countless sheets of spell paper formed a protective barrier around them, and the monster seemed to look for an opening, for a weakness in the barrier.

"Run."

Kenta looked up. "What?"

"Run!" The medicine seller nearly shouted, throwing more spell paper around them. "Take cover!"

"What about you?"

"Don't mind me. Run!"

The thing roared. Kenta decided he couldn't waste anymore time. He grabbed Aiko by the shoulders and ran.

He ran fast,

Faster.

"What about Kusuriuri-san?" He heard his sister's soft voice whisper. Kenta ran into a nearby alley. "H-he'll be alright. He can handle that thing, whatever it is." He put her down, "And stay quiet." He turned to face the alley's opening, but it was blocked. This came as a shock at first, but it turned out to be the familiar spell paper of the medicine seller. Kenta sighed in relief. He peered through the gaps in between the sheets of paper, and desperately tried to get a clear view of the uncertain skirmish between the medicine seller and the fiend.

_What… is the cause of your anger?_

The medicine seller stopped running, stopped hurling spell paper; and he panted, he stared at the giant beast in front of him. The brute didn't do anything. It stood there, but not silently; teeth bared, tongue sliding down from the side of its mouth. It hissed, as if warning the medicine seller not to interfere with what it had came here to do. 

_The Inugami family must perish…_

The medicine seller raised his sword again. He stared into the monster's huge, beady, eyes. _I ask again…_ He narrowed his eyes as the beast shifted. _What is the cause of your anger!_

"Tell me… your Truth… and Regret!"

It then abruptly erupted into blue flames, and vanished. His eyes widened. "What-"

In an instant, it appeared again in front of him, and it bit into his shoulder. The medicine seller gasped, and it released its grip. It then swiped at him with its paw. He was thrown backwards.

And he felt the agonizing sensation

Of what felt to be something sawing slowly through his neck.

Different images began to flash in front of the medicine seller's eyes.

The dog.

A young boy.

A middle-aged woman.

A blood-stained wooden saw.

A beheaded man.

Many more beheaded people.

_You… let me… see this?_

He then was engulfed in black and blue flames.

.

.

.

"Kusuriuri-san!"

Aiko looked up and wiped her tears. "Wh-what happened, Onii-san?"

"Kusuriuri-san… H-he…"

Aiko's eyes widened and she ran to where her brother was standing.

"Move over!"

"No! Find your own gap!"

She pouted and looked through another gap. Her face changed and she gasped, and she started shaking. "N-no… How?"

--

* * *

**Disclaimer**: 'Mononoke' (c) Toei Animation

I do not, I repeat, DO NOT own this anime or the character 'Kusuriuri'.

A/N: Mmneh. The true form of the dog is revealed... I guess.


	6. The Past

The medicine seller opened his eyes. He was back in medieval Japan. He looked around.

There was the little boy. He was running. He stopped and turned. He smiled, and laughed. "Over here! Here!" And then there was barking. The dog ran up to him, and stood by his side, tail wagging. The little boy continued to laugh, and he patted the dog's head. "Good dog. You're a good dog."

"Taiki?"

A woman's voice interrupted.

"Taiki!"

Taiki looked up. "Yes, mother?" The middle-aged woman stepped out of a small house. She looked angry, flustered. She put her hands on her hips. "Taiki! You know you're very weak, and yet you still go outside and play when you're supposed to rest!" She pointed at him, waggling her index finger to emphasize her point. "Get back in here, _now_!"

The boy sighed, and rubbed the back of his head. He looked at his furry friend. "You stay outside, alright? You don't come in the house. Mother might beat you." The dog continued to wag its tail. Taiki smiled and patted its head. "See you later!" He sprinted into the house, and was gone. The dog sat down, its tail stopped wagging. It continued to stare at the house. The mother reappeared, and glared at the dog. "Shoo! Go away!" she then threw a round object at it, and it hit it on the side. The dog yelped and ran away.

The medicine seller stood there, he blinked. Then he smiled, and whispered. "Please show us… everything, until the very end."

.

.

.

"Wha… Where?" Aiko's voice erupted. Kenta blinked. He looked to his left. "K-kusuriuri-san?" The medicine seller turned to face him momentarily, and then looked away. Kenta blinked and faced the front. "Hey, isn't that the dog?" He asked, and the medicine seller opened his mouth slightly. "Where are we, Kusuriuri-san?" Aiko queried, and the stoic figure spoke. "The Inugami… is showing us… Its Truth."

Aiko blinked, and whispered. "So that's what it is… an Inugami? A dog god?" The medicine seller seemed to nod, and she turned.

The turn of events in front of them seemed to pass by fleetingly. _Like if you fast forward a tape…_ Aiko thought. It slowed down. Then, it began to play out at normal speed, it seemed. The dog grew slightly bigger, and the boy who came out to play with it became a teenager. The teenager, after playing with the dog will then retreat back into the house. This cycle repeated for many seconds, and then stopped. The dog was sitting in front of the house, tail wagging. But its master did not come out. It still sat there, waiting.

And waiting.

The dog heard his voice.

"Goodbye, mother. … Don't worry; I'll be back in a few months. Yes, yes. Goodbye."

Then he came out, carrying a large pack. The dog stood up, its tail wagging. It barked. Taiki smiled, and patted its head. He kneeled down and hugged the dog. "I'll be going for a while. I need to work." Then the dog whined, as if it understood its master's words. Taiki seemed to hold back tears. "Don't you worry. I'll be back soon." He scratched it behind the ears. The dog's tail still wagged, but slowly. Taiki hugged it again, then he stood up. He started to walk off. The dog followed, but he stopped it. "No. You stay here. Guard the house… Don't follow." The dog sat down.

Taiki's face saddened. He whispered, "Goodbye, my dear friend."

And he walked away.

The dog started to bark. Its master continued to walk away.

_No! Don't leave, master!_

He continued to walk.

_Master!_

He still continued to walk.

The dog seemed to come to a realization.

The dog howled.

And the vision gained speed.

--

The dog continued to sit at the exact same spot, anticipating its master's return. But he didn't come back. Then the vision slowed down. The dog paced on the spot. Then it heard footsteps. It raised its head. It barked. It heard a man's voice.

No. _This is not master's voice…_ It sat down again, and it watched a man walk towards the house, and he went it. The dog listened. It couldn't hear much. Then it heard yelling, crashing objects.

"How dare you, Kikkawa! How dare you!"

"It's for the best, Asuka."

"Get out!"

The man walked out, a rather angry look on his face. The dog flattened its ears against its head. Master's mother continued to yell. "I don't want to see your face here again! Do you hear me? Never! Never again! …." She continued to yell, a never-ending string of scoldings at the man. It turned and watched the man walk away. The dog was surprised by Master's mother's sudden yell. It turned.

"What nerve!" Despite her angry tone, tears were streaming down her face. "He deserves… punishment…

The dog stared at her. It panted. _Where's master? Is he coming back?_

She looked down and saw the dog. She walked towards it. The dog whined. She grabbed it by the scruff. The dog thrashed about. Something was not right.

.  
.

.

The dog was buried in the ground, with only its head sticking out. It struggled, but the weight of the soil around it prevented it from moving. It was painful, being inhibited in a narrow hole in the ground. It couldn't eat. It couldn't drink. In the rain, in the sun, it stayed there. Its body may be protected, but its head suffered; sweltering heat one day, a raging storm the next. It grew hungry, and skinny. No matter how many pieces of food master's mother placed around it, it can't reach the food. It can't eat. It starved.

And everyday, before master's mother placed new food in front of it, she would always say, "This pain you're suffering is nothing compared to mine. Nothing. Nothing." It would always growl after she said that. It was angry. At her. Why? It didn't do anything wrong. Does it deserve this?

Many days past (or in this case, seconds), the same routine continued. Then, it slowed down again.

"This pain you're suffering is nothing compared to mine. Nothing. Nothing." Master's mother was there again. But the dog was too weak to growl, to even lift its head. She was holding something in her hand. It was long, and sharp it seemed. She put it on its neck. It pierced through the dog's flesh. The dog howled in pain, and she continued to slice. She brought the object back and forth, going deeper and deeper into the dog's neck.

Aiko began to sob. Kenta held her head and press her face against his stomach. "Don't look, Aiko."

The dog continued howling. It wasted the last of its strength thrashing its head about, and it sped the process up. "Become an Inugami…" the woman murmured. "Become an Inugami; kill the one who abandoned me… And married that woman! … Kill Inugami Kikkawa, and from now on, I will treat you with the respect you deserve…" The dog stopped howling.

* * *

**Disclaimer**: 'Mononoke' (c) Toei Animation

I do not, I repeat, DO NOT own this anime or the character 'Kusuriuri'.

A/N: That is all. By the way, that really is the process of creating an Inugami. Search in any search engine on 'inugami' if you don't believe me.


	7. Fast Forward

.

.

.

It seemed to fast forward a few days. Aiko shifted. "What… happened, Onii-san?" Kenta didn't answer.

A man ran to the house, and they heard a conversation. Most probably between Asuka and the man.

"Your husband's been kill-"

"He's not my husband."

"Oh... I see… So that means that woman is…"

"Yes, yes. You were saying?"

"He's been killed, and his new wife was killed as well. Their children too."

The woman turned, trying to hide her satisfied look. "This does not concern me. Be gone."

The man bowed, then ran out of the house. He mumbled. "She's not royalty. She shouldn't talk like that."

And then

A bark.

The man looked down. There was a dog. It was staring up at him. He blinked, and the dog was gone. Something about that gave him an uneasy feeling, and he slowly walked further away. He then ran.

The woman, Asuka, came out of the house. She looked at the dog. The dog looked back at her. "Good. You did your job." She turned around, and walked back towards the house. The dog barked.

Another bark.

Another bark.

"Keep quiet!" a stone was hurled in the dog's direction, and it passed through the spirit. The dog growled.

.

.

A familiar figure started to walk towards the house. The dog perked up, and stood. It barked. It was master. He came back. It continued to bark, but master didn't seem to hear or see it.

_Why?_

The dog followed its master into the house. He greeted his aging mother. "Mother, I'm back." The woman turned. "Taiki! How was work? Where are you working?"

"In the next province."

"Oh. Is that far away?"

"Not really."  
"Is your pay enough?"

"Yes."

"… Good. Very good."

"And, mother…"

"Yes?"

"I'm married."

Asuka's eyes widened. She raised her hand and waggled her finger in front of her son, just like she had done earlier (or, before). "How can you get married without my permission?" she raised her voice. The dog growled. She glanced at it momentarily, and then looked back at her son. Her arm dropped to her side. She sighed. "Since you are already married, nothing can be done. Make sure you take care of your family." Taiki nodded, then he looked around. "Where's Anata?"

"What? 'Where's you?' "

"No. Anata. It's her name."

"Anata? What kind of ridiculous name is that?"

"Where is she?"

"Oh… you mean that dog? Why would you name a dog 'You'?"

The dog wagged her tail. _He remembered. Master remembered! _

"Yes. Is she still here?"

The woman paused and glanced at the dog. "Sh-she ran away."

"What?" Taiki said in astonishment.

_No! Master! I'm here!_

"She would never…" He then sighed. "… I guess it's for the best. One can't linger in one place for too long."

_Master! Master!_

He then turned.

"What? You're not staying?" The woman shouted, walking after her son. "I have to go back." He said, shrugging his shoulders so that his pack would fit more comfortably. "I have a family to look after."

"What? See here-"

"Goodbye," Taiki said suddenly, and he walked down the familiar path. "… Mother. I'll visit again when I can."

The dog continued to follow her previous master. Once she reached a certain spot, she couldn't walk further. She was bound to this house, bound to her mistress.

_Master! Master!_

The dog realized she can't be heard, and she sat down. Her ears twitched; they followed her tail, and drooped.

Many days seemed to pass, and the dog stayed in the same spot. She grew bigger, large. Her fur turned black, and she seemed to glow blue. She continued to grow, and to sit in that spot. Her mistress ignored her, seemed to forget about her side of the promise.

Then she turned and went into the house.

And then

A scream.

.

.  
.

--

_An Inugami… that goes bad… is hard to get rid of._

_It will continue… to haunt its creator… _

_Until it is properly exorcised,_

_Or until… it's blood thirst has been quenched._

* * *

**Disclaimer**: 'Mononoke' (c) Toei Animation

I do not, I repeat, DO NOT own this anime or the character 'Kusuriuri'.

A/N: ... In my personal opinion, I think this chapter and chapter 8 were very badly written (rushed).


	8. Unsheathe

Kenta's eyes widened. They were back, in the alley. He turned. The wall of spell paper was still there, blocking the entrance to the alley. He looked up. A new canopy of spell paper blocked his view of the sky, and somehow this gave him a kind of reassurance. His sister's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Onii-san… what happened? Why are we back here? I thought we were…" Aiko mumbled. "There?" Kenta shook his head. "I don't know either," he resumed his place against the barrier of spell paper, peering through a gap. "I think it was just a vision. That the Inugami made, so we would know her Truth, just as Kusuriuri-san said."

"Her?"

"It was alive once, Aiko."

.

.

The medicine seller opened his eyes. The blue and black Inugami was once again in front of him, teeth bared in a sinister smile. It opened its mouth slightly, and its long tongue slid out slowly.

The medicine seller narrowed his eyes. "The pain of a saw cutting through your neck…" His grip on his sword tightened. "The pain of being separated from the master you loved so dearly…" He looked up from the floor. "You were forced to make a deal, and the other half of the deal was not kept… That is your Truth."

The sword's open jaw closed with a 'clack'.

"That was too much. That angered you, and your grudge held true; not only to your mistress, but to all those who bore her name… You wanted love, as well as revenge. That is your Regret."

Once again, the sword's jaw closed with a 'clack'.

The Inugami snarled.

His sword hovered over the medicine seller's head. He pointed both of his index fingers; and he raised his arm one by one, and he seemed to point to the elevated sword. He murmured.

"Form, Truth, Regret assembled… thus," He spread his arms out abruptly, unsheathing the sword a tad. "This sword shall be… Released!"

The sword echoed. "_Released!_"'

A second figure appeared behind him; a tan-skinned man with long silver hair, dressed in gold. The marks around the medicine seller's eyes faded, and golden patterns appeared on the tan man's skin. He clenched his fists, and the medicine seller vanished. The Inugami seized its chance, and pounced. A barricade of golden versions of the spell paper immediately appeared, blocking the Inugami from reaching the long-haired figure. He unsheathed the sword, revealing a blade that seemed to burn three colors; red, yellow and orange. The barricade disappeared, and the fangs of the Inugami and the burning blade of the sword met;

colliding, both trying to cut each other, both trying to destroy each other's wielder. The Inugami jumped back, seemed to think for a short while, and it ran forward, barking. The figure clad in gold swung the sword forward with a slicing motion, and the Inugami roared louder, in pain.

--

"Who… Who's that? What happened to Kusuriuri-san?" Aiko questioned, peering through a gap. Kenta tried to answer his sister, and yet he struggled with words. "I… I don't know. Maybe…" Aiko glanced at her brother. "That guy… _is_ Kusuriuri-san…" Aiko's mouth opened at his reply, and then she shut it again, for she had forgotten what she wanted to say.

"The innocent blood you've spilt…" The strange man (yes, even stranger than the medicine seller) said, cutting the Inugami, and then disappearing. He reappeared somewhere else near it, and he repeated the process, slicing the Inugami several times. It yelped, and its tail burst into black and blue flames. It roared, its tail extended and it formed a circle, the tip of its tail meeting its right ear. It gave the impression like it had trapped him. It roared again, as if in victory. The man narrowed his eyes. "Brace yourself…!" The sword extended, and he swung in a circular motion, slashing the monster from the tip of its tail, to the very end of its snout. The Inugami roared, it contorted into a sphere, and it burst into flames. The man's eyes looked as if he was examining the burning form of the dog demon, then he slashed it once with his weapon.

"Vanish!"

.

.  
.

* * *

**Disclaimer**: 'Mononoke' (c) Toei Animation

I do not, I repeat, DO NOT own this anime or the character 'Kusuriuri'.

A/N: Mmmhmm. Yup. 3 and a half paragraphs long battle scene. -whispers, 'badly written.' and goes to hide in a corner-


	9. End

.

.  
.

The wall and awning of spell paper disappeared as abruptly as they had appeared; Kenta and Aiko stared at the medicine seller, who, like the spell paper, had abruptly turned back into himself again. Both brother and sister seemed to wonder what to do next. And without a word, Aiko ran towards the medicine seller. Upon seeing her run, Kenta followed.

"Kusuriuri-san!"

The medicine seller lifted and turned his head. "Oh?"

"Kusuriuri-san!" the little girl named Aiko said, looking up at him with questioning eyes. "Is… is it…" She paused, and her brother completed the sentence for her. "Dead?" The medicine seller put his hand on the ground; he appeared to examine the burn marks on the ground. "I don't know."

Aiko's jaw dropped. "What? You don't know? But you killed it yourself! Erm, I think." The medicine seller simply smiled. "Remember that you petted the dog, and it wagged its tail?" Aiko blinked. "Y-yes…" Astonished, Kenta asked, "H-how did you know?" The medicine seller looked up to the sky; he had a dreamy look in his eyes. "I have… my way of knowing, Kenta-san; and that gesture of yours, Aiko-san… Cleansed _some _of its hatred away." Aiko blinked once. Twice. "Huh?" The medicine seller looked at the girl. "The Inugami only desired love, yet received neglect and oppression." He diverted his attention to the floor. "Wouldn't… _you_… agree?"

A bark.

Kenta looked at the spot that the medicine seller was staring at, and supposedly where the bark came from. "It's… it's there… Isn't it, Kusuriuri-san?" The medicine seller smiled, and looked at the boy. "I don't know." He stood up and proceeded to walk away. Kenta didn't say anything. He couldn't say anything. Aiko could, however. She put both of her hands at the side of her mouth. She began to shout.

"Bye Bye! Kusuriuri-san!"

Kenta smiled. "I think he can hear you well enough, Aiko."

"Shut up!" Aiko retorted, and she waved her arms up and down. "Bye Bye!"

"Bye Bye!"

Those were the last things the medicine seller heard from that street. As he crossed the road, the loud farewells of Aiko ceased. He felt something behind him. He did not turn. He felt that he knew what it was. "You… You're following, aren't you?"

A bark.

"It is best if you don't… follow."

Another bark; a defiant one this time.

The medicine seller smiled, and he continued to walk to his destination (wherever it was), continued to be accompanied by the dog.

This he was sure of, as there was the 'pitter-pat pitter-pat pitter-pat' of her paws.

* * *

**Disclaimer**: 'Mononoke' (c) Toei Animation

I do not, I repeat, DO NOT own this anime or the character 'Kusuriuri'.

A/N: And so it ends... This is (so far) the longest fanfiction I have ever written... -celebrates by herself- Mmneh. Sorry if the ending is abrupt. -returns to the corner-


End file.
